"Riding JR trains without JR PASS 1"
Top 5 Page for this destinationJapan Warnings Or Dangers Tip by Pixiekatten

Japan Rail is great. If you have the JR PASS, if not travelling on trains can end up extremely expensive. I had never reflected on this until my last day since I had my passes. But I read that a trainticket from Kyoto to Kansai Airport was going to be about 900yen with a private railcompany. However I was already standing on Kyoto station, in a que for a ticket when I realised I was quing for JR tickets. Well, I thought, surely the difference could be that big. But it was. I paid 1800yen. And then I got on an expresstrain by mistake and had to pay the conductor another 1100yen! As you can see the difference is HUGE!

Here's some private rail companies:

Kanto:

Tobu (approx. 460 km)http://www.tobu.co.jp/Tobu operates an extensive network of railway lines into the suburbs and prefectures north of Tokyo. Interest for Tourists: Access to Nikko.

Odakyu (approx. 120 km)http://www.odakyu.jp/Odakyu operates three lines from central Tokyo to western Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture. Interest for tourists: Access to Hakone.

Tokyu (approx. 100 km)http://www.tokyu.co.jp/Tokyu operates a network of two main lines and several shorter lines in the south of Tokyo. Interest for tourists: Access to Yokohama.

Keisei (approx. 100 km)http://www.keisei.co.jp/Keisei operates a main line and several branch lines from Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture. Interest for tourists: Access to Narita Airport.